Co-infection dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory viruses in the 2022/2023 respiratory season in the Netherlands
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Objectives
Evaluation of the presence and effect of SARS-CoV-2 co-infections on disease severity.
Methods
We collected both symptom data and nose- and throat samples from symptomatic people during the 2022/2023 respiratory season in a large participatory surveillance study in the Netherlands, and tested these for 18 respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2. We compared reported health status, symptoms and odds of having a mono respiratory viral infection or co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and another respiratory virus.
Results
In total 4,655 samples were included with 22% (n=1,017) testing SARS-CoV-2 positive. Of these 11% (n=116) also tested positive for a second respiratory virus. The most frequently occurring co-infections in SARS-CoV-2 positive participants were with rhinovirus (59%; n=69), seasonal coronaviruses (15%; n=17) and adenovirus (7%; n=8). Participants with a co-infection with one of these three viruses did not report more severe disease compared to those with a SARS-CoV-2 mono-infection. The odds of experiencing SARS-CoV-2 co-infection with seasonal coronavirus or rhinovirus were lower compared to the odds of the respective non-SARS-CoV-2 mono-infection (OR: 0.16, CI 95%: 0.10 – 0.24; OR: 0.21 CI 95%: 0.17 – 0.26; respectively).
Conclusions
SARS-CoV-2 co-infections with rhinovirus, seasonal coronavirus and adenovirus are frequently observed in the general population, but are not associated with more severe disease compared to SARS-CoV-2 mono-infections. Furthermore, we found indications for inter-virus interaction with rhinovirus and seasonal coronavirus, possibly decreasing risk of co-infection.
Highlights
Our study showed viral co-infections in 11% of the SARS-CoV-2 positive participants
SARS-CoV-2 mono-infections led to more severe symptoms than the common cold mono-infections with seasonal coronavirus or rhinovirus
SARS-CoV-2 co-infections with common cold viruses did not lead to worse health status compared to SARS-CoV-2 mono-infections
Odds for mono-infection with common cold virus were higher than for co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and the respective common cold virus
